Sentencing for former Hamilton official in Bencivengo case moved back a week

HAMILTON — The middleman and former “best friend” of former Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo has had his sentencing hearing moved — again.

Rob Warney, the town’s former director of Community Planning and Compliance, was scheduled to be sentenced on one charge of money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine, back in October. Warney resigned his post in June before pleading guilty to the charge.

But the sentencing was moved to December, then to January, then to March 7, then to March 15 and now to March 22 before Federal District Judge Anne Thompson, according to court documents.

The former mayor, found guilty of five charges related to a case involving the local school board, will be sentenced March 13. Bencivengo was scheduled to be sentenced in February, but that hearing also was pushed back.

Warney’s attorney, William Hughes, said in January that cooperating witnesses, such as Warney, generally do not face their sentencing until after the “principal in the case,” Bencivengo.

Warney testified that in 2011 he was given a $5,000 check for a “cherry bedroom set” from the husband of the prosecution’s chief witness in the case, Marliese Ljuba. The check, made out to Warney’s wife was then cashed without her knowledge.

Rob Warney said he then took out that cash in increments and paid them to Bencivengo. Warney was recorded on tapes made by both Ljuba and Bencivengo for the FBI where they are talking about the check.

Prosecutors said that Warney had reached a deal with them in exchange for his testimony in the case.

Bencivengo was convicted of taking $12,400 in total, $5,000 check included, from Ljuba in exchange for his influence with two Hamilton Township Board of Education members in their votes on her lucrative health insurance brokerage there.